Safety knife sheath



April 19, 1966 G. l. MILLER 3,246,813

SAFETY KNIFE SHEATH Filed 0G11. 4, 1965 INVENTOR.'

GILBERT l. MILLER BY WMMM ATT'Ys United States Patent O 3,246,813 SAFETY KNIFE SHEATH Gilbert I. Miller, 172 S`. Franklin Ave., Juneau, Alaska Filed Get. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 314,010

3 Claims. (et. 224-2) This invention relates in general to 1a safety knife` sheath, and more particularly to a knife sheath having means thereon for selectively locking a knife in the sheath.

The present invention includes a sheath having a pocket therein for receiving the knife blade of a knife, and wherein a button or protruding member is mounted on the sheath above the pocket to selectively block the path of movement of a guard on the knife. By depressing the button, the knife may be inserted or removed from the sheath.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a safety knife sheath, wherein the knife may be selectively locked in the sheath.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety knife sheath, wherein the sheath is provided with a protruding member or button for selectively locking the knife in the sheath.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a safety knife sheath, wherein the sheath includes a protruding member or button above the knife pocket, the button is fixed to the sheath and may be moved to permit insertion or removal of a knife Ifrom the sheath.

Other objects, features and advantages of the vinvention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. lis a perspective view of the safety knife sheath of the present invention and illustrating a knife in locked position within the sheath as the sheath is suspended from a belt adapted to be worn by a person;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the safety knife sheath and illustrating further the manner in which the knife is selectively locked within the sheath;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the button or protru-ding member on the sheath in depressed position to permit insertion or removal o-f the knife from the sheath; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. l, a knife 1t) is shown in assembled position with a safety sheath 11. The sheath is suspended from a belt 12 which is adapted to be worn on a person.

The knife includes a blade 13, a handle 14 and a guard 15 intermediate the blade and handle. The guard 15 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the knife and handle and is adapted to function to prevent the hand of the user from ovcrreaching the handle and engaging the blade 13, to serve as a stop in inserting the knife into the sheath 11, and to also coact with the sheath in locking the knife in place as will be more clearly described hereinafter. p

The sheath 11 includes inner and outer panels 16 and 17, peripherally secured together as by a line of stitching 18, and contoured to the contour of the knife blade 13. The inner panel 16 is relatively flat, while the outer panel 17 is also contoured to define with the panel 16 a pocket for the knife blade 13, and open at the upper end. Preferably, the panels 16 and 17 are of leather, although any other suitable material may be employed.

3,246,813 Patented Apr. l 9, 1 966 ice An extension panel 19 extends upwardly above the upper open end of the sheath pocket, and has connected 4to lits upper end in a suitable -fashion Va belt loop 20. While the extension panel 19 in this embodiment is a contmuation of the inner panel 16, it may be a separate piece attached to the inner panel if so desired, but is of a flexible material, suchas leather or the like.

A button or protruding member 21 is suitably secured to the extension panel 19, such as by a rivet 22, FIG. 4. The button 21 is of such a length as to extend over a portion of the knife guard 15 and preferably along one side of the handle 14 as shown in the drawings, when the knife is in the sheath. Thus, inadvertent removal of the knife 10 from the sheath 11 is avoided because the knife is selectively locked in place in the sheath. To remove the button 21 from its blocking position of the knife guard 15, it is only necessary to depress the button 21 out of the path of the guard as illustrated in FIG. 3. In order to depress the button 21, it is necessary that the extension panel 19 be flexible as shown. Similarly, when inserting the knife 10 into the sheath 11 it is necessary to depress the button 21 out of the path of the knife guard 15 until it has bottomed the knife into the sheath, after which the button may be allowed to return to its normal position and thereby extend over the knife guard 15 to lock the knife in the sheath. The button 21 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as one or more layers of leather, molded plastic, or the like. Further, the button may `be mounted on the extension panel 19 at either side of thc kni-fe handle when the knife is in the sheath, but preferably is mounted on the side opposite the knife edge side thereby avoiding the possible engagement between the knife edge and the button.

In view of the foregoing, it is seen that a new and improved safety knife sheath has been provided to enhance the safe use of a knife and to avoid any possibility of inadvertently losing the knife from the sheath.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the `appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A safety knife sheath for use with a knife having a blade, a handle extending from the blade and a guard between the handle and blade, said sheath comprising a body of exible material including a knife blade pocket receiving said blade and a portion extending from the open end of the pocket in alignment with the knife handle having a belt loop secured thereto at the upper end thereof, end means fixed on said portion extending over said guard -t-o normally lock the knife in the sheath, said means comprising a button movable with said portion to remove it from the path of the knife guard when the knife is withdrawn from or inserted into the sheath.

2. A safety knife sheath for use with a knife having a blade, a handle extending from the blade and a guard intermediate the handle and blade, said sheath comprising a body having inner and outer walls defining a pocket having an open end for receiving the knife blade to completely enclose same, a ilexible panel extending from the sheath at the open end of the pocket and in alignment with the knife guard, a belt loop secured to said panel at the upper end thereof, and a button secured to said panel and movable therewith to selectively coact with the knife guard for locking the knife in the sheath.

3. A safety knife sheath for use with a knife having a blade, a handle extending from the blade and a 3 Y 4 guard intermediate `the handle and blade, said sheath References Cited by the Examiner comorising a body having inner and outer walls defining f UNITED STATES y1 l,51EN1-S a pocket having an open end for receiving the knife b1 d t 1 t 1 1 .b1 nel 1,842,936 l/1932 Franz 224-2 a e o Cmp e e y enc Ose Same: a 3X1 e pa 2,527,710 10/1950 Davidson 224 2 extending from the sheath at the open end of the pocket 5 2 859 516 11/1958 McQueary 224 2 and in alignment with Ithe knife guard, said panel hav- 3,044,673 7/1962 lng means thereon for attaching the sheath to the clothing of a user, and a button secured to said panel and GERALD M FORLENZA, Pflmfy Examinernormally extendinU laterally thereof over the 'open end of Ithe sheath and novable therewith to selectively coact 10 HUGO O' SCHULZ Exammer with the knife guard for locking the knife in the sheath. A, GRANT, Assistant Examiner.

Manning 224-2 

1. A SAFETY KNIFE SHEATH FOR USE WITH A KNIFE HAVING A BLADE, A HANDLE EXTENDING FROM THE BLADE AND A GUARD BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND BLADE, SAID SHEATH COMPRISING A BODY OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL INCLUDING A KNIFE BLADE POCKET RECEIVING SAID BLADE AND A PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE OPEN END OF THE POCKET IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE KNIFE HANDLE HAVING A BELT LOOP SECURED THERETO AT THE UPPER END THEREOF, END MEANS FIXED ON SAID PORTION EXTENDING OVER SAID GUARD TO NORMALLY LOCK THE KNIFE IN THE SHEATH, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A BUTTON MOVABLE WITH SAID PORTION TO REMOVE IT FROM THE PATH OF THE KNIFE GUARD WHEN THE KNIFE IS WITHDRAWN FROM OR INSERTED INTO THE SHEATH. 